Damaged
by Demented Insane Spirit
Summary: MarikxMai. No one knows the truth of what happened to Mai as a child and no one can cure her except for the one person who understands her best. One shot.


DIS: (cackles) Yet another one-shot

DIS: (cackles) Yet another one-shot! I am without shame. (looks solemn, then smirks) Enjoy!

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_Title: Damaged_

_Rating: T_

_Genre: Drama/Romance_

_Summary: MarikxMai. No one knows the truth of what happened to Mai as a child and no one can cure her except for the one person who understands her best. Drabble._

_Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh, nor the song 'Damaged'_

_Notes/Warnings: Inspired by the song 'Damaged' by Plumb; song fic; Marik/Mai; first attempt at this couple_

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_Damaged_

_Dreaming comes so easily_

_Cause it's all I've known_

_True love is a fairy tale_

_I'm damaged_

_How would I know?_

Mai Kujaku walked steadily through Domino, her mind intent on only one place. The clouds that hung overhead made it seem darker than six-oh-ten. She hadn't spoken to Yuugi and the others in months since she had been possessed by Dartz. She had felt hollow inside since then and the memories of her sad childhood she had suppressed so well had welled up inside of her. She wanted nothing more than to forget about those lonely days. Now, there was no way to forget them.

She paused at the park, staring at the emptiness of it and then took in a deep breath. How many times had she looked at a park and wished that she could be happy like every other child? How many times had she asked, with a young child's naïve hope, to play with the other kids? How many times had she been denied that brief serenity simply because they were of the "lower class" and she wasn't allowed to mingle with them?

Mai went to the swing set, sliding her fingers along the cold chains of the swing. A small smile tilted her lips upward and she settled on the swing, grasping the chains and staring around her at the playground. She pushed her stiletto boots against the pebbles that covered the ground of the playground and pumped her legs to rise up above the world. The cool air dove into her thick, blonde curls. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feeling that this simple pleasure gave her.

She opened her eyes and slowed down, her legs hanging uselessly as she leaned her head against the chain. Even after she stopped swinging, she remained seated on the swing, smiling vacantly to herself. She didn't have to be alone, but she had said some harsh things to the people she had once called her friends. She knew that Jounouchi could not possibly forgive her.

She stiffened as hands slid on her shoulders and a familiarly silky voice murmured in her ear, "What are you doing out here all alone?" She jerked away and stumbled off the swing, whirling around to face Marik Ishtar.

_I'm scared_

_And I'm alone_

_I'm ashamed and I need for you to know_

Mai had heard that Marik had been brought back in his own body, but had never allowed herself to believe that she might actually come face-to-face with him. Despite the hell he had brought on her, she had known his pet name and the way he had taunted her during their duel was his morbid way of showing his interest. Perhaps she might have ignored it if, while in the Shadow Realm, he hadn't shown such an understanding of her loneliness.

She saw that same understanding in his light, lavender eyes now.

Admittedly, he wasn't unattractive. There was an innate sense of control in the way he held himself and the jacket he wore now accented the strength in his arms that were crossed over his chest. His black turtleneck was smoothed out over his torso, showing his slender figure and the lazy way he leaned against the metal bar of the swing set was almost seductive.

_I'm not looking to be seduced, _she argued with her body. _I just want to be left alone. _"What the hell do you want, Marik?" One of his smooth eyebrows rose at her question and his lips curled upward in amusement.

"It isn't as if I was looking for you, my dear. I just happened to be walking around and saw you sitting here." The way he said 'just happened' caused Mai to believe he might had seen her some place else and had followed her. It merely irritated her that he had followed her, even though she knew that it should frighten her. She knew nothing about this man except that he had been more than a little psychotic during Battle City.

_He doesn't have his powers any more, _she reassured herself. _There's no reason to get anxious. He's like any other man now. I can deal with that._

He tilted his head slightly and drawled, "I haven't seen you with any of the idiot friends of the Pharaoh's. I thought you were stuck to them like this." He raised a hand and twined two of his fingers together to indicate what he meant. Mai stared at the fingers, her chest tightening painfully. His hand lowered and she snapped her furious gaze to Marik, hating him for bringing them up. "Ah, yes. I did hear of your little state of possession." He chuckled. "I take it you said some rather unkind things?" Marik grinned across at her.

"Bastard," she whispered venomously. "Don't talk to me about things unkind!" She pivoted on her heel to make a grand exit, but his voice called back to her, halting her movements.

"Have you told them?" Slowly, she turned to look at him. He was smiling.

_I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say_

_And you can't take back what you've taken away_

_Because I feel you_

_I feel you near me_

_I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say_

_And you can't take back what you've taken away_

_Because I feel you_

_I feel you near me_

Mai suspected he had rummaged in her mind and had discovered why she had held herself so aloof before she met Jounouchi and Yuugi. He had been able to use it against her during the Shadow Realm, knowing how much she clung to her new friends. Now, she was without friends again. After having the companionship of Yuugi and them, it was terribly lonely. Hell, she would take Marik as a friend, even. He understood her far too well, perhaps even more than she did.

"They never needed to know," she softly replied. Marik pushed off from the swing set. Mai wasn't looking at him, but could hear his footsteps in the gravel as he approached her. When she turned her head, he was a few steps from her, his eyes fixed on her face intently. It was almost too intimate of a look for her liking. However, it made her feel...nice, almost, after having no one for so many months. "Why do you even care, Marik?" She snapped, an initial reaction when she felt cornered.

"I was created by Malik's anger and own loneliness," Marik answered, smirking in remembrance of some memory in his mind. "As a Tomb Keeper, the only people we had were each other and, of course, the family. When he was a child, he didn't seem to mind my company. After I killed his father, though, he suppressed me." He looked to her, his smirk gone. "I know very well the feeling of having no one, my dear, trust me when I say that."

"_Trust you?_" She repeated, giving a short, bitter laugh. "You trapped my mind in the Shadow Realm!"

He smiled. "Ah, yes. What nice memories those are for me." Mai stared at him a moment and then startled herself with a genuine laugh. She knew she shouldn't laugh, as the time in the Shadow Realm as she watched Yuugi and the others exclude her had been one of the worst experiences in her life.

_Healing comes so painfully_

_And it chills to the bone_

_Will anyone get close to me?_

_I'm damaged_

_As I'm sure you know_

_I'm scared_

_And I'm alone_

_I'm ashamed and I need for you to know_

_I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say_

_And you can't take back what you've taken away_

_Because I feel you_

_I feel you near me_

_I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say_

_And you can't take back what you've taken away_

_Because I feel you_

_I feel you near me_

"You're insane."

"A bit," he agreed. Mai smiled, feeling a strange likeness with Marik. It was stronger now, as she didn't have him as an enemy anymore. The Pharaoh might consider him an enemy still, but he was trying to give her some kind of comfort and that was enough to warm her heart. "Hmm, I wonder when Isis will send her brother or Rishid after me?" He wondered aloud.

"You're not allowed to be out?"

"Not alone."

"Well, then, hon, you can come and have some coffee with me." She grabbed his arm and looped hers around his. He merely raised an eyebrow at her. "After all, I could use a friend." He snorted at the word, but didn't pull away or say anything. Mai smiled to herself as the two them started out of the park. _Yeah, friend isn't exactly the word I would use for him, either. _

_I feel you near me_

_There's numbing for my soul_

_And it can undo this fear_

_Forgiveness for a man who is stronger_

_I was just a little girl_

_But I can't go back_

_I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say_

_And you can't take back what you've taken away_

_Because I feel you_

_I feel you near me_

_I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say_

_And you can't take back what you've taken away_

_Because I feel you_

_I feel you near me_

_Can't go back_

_I must go on_

_Finis_

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DIS: I did try to keep them in character, but if I didn't, then I am sincerely sorry! This is my first attempt at a Marik/Mai fic, after all. (gives a dreamy smile) I actually really like this couple. They would look good together, I think. Please leave a review telling me how I did. Ciao!


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